Texans’ Johnson ‘on schedule’ but doesn’t practice

The Texans returned to practice Wednesday without some of their best players, the most notable being receiver Andre Johnson.

“Andre, it was a no-run day for him, so there was nothing unusual,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’s run four out of the last five days, so we gave him the day off. He’ll be right back (Thursday) working.”

Johnson has missed five consecutive games after undergoing surgery to repair an injured hamstring. If Johnson misses a sixth consecutive game, he’ll get two more weeks to recover because the Texans have their open date between the Tampa Bay and Jacksonville games.

“There’s still a possibility,” Kubiak said. “He’s on schedule. Everything’s going well, but it’ll be a weekend decision again.”

Defense won’t rest

In Wade Phillips’ first season as defensive coordinator, the Texans are ranked first in defense.

“I’m not shocked,” inside linebacker Brian Cushing said. “At the same time, I know it’s quite an accomplishment to do that. I know the talent we have, especially with the coaching that’s here now. There’s no other excuse but for us to do it.”

The Texans are fourth against the run and second against the pass.

“It’s an honor,” Cushing said. “It’s something we worked hard for, but it’s something we’re not going to just settle on. We feel that we’re still improving, and there’s no limit for this defense.”

No surprises here

Cornerback Johnathan Joseph has been exceptional through the first nine games. Being the top-ranked defense doesn’t seem to surprise him.

“That was our goal coming in,” said Joseph, who’s tied with Jason Allen for the team lead with three interceptions. “We wanted to be a top defense. We wanted to be a good team, but they come with hard work.
“We’ve continued to get better, week in and week out, and for us, we want to finish the season the same way we finished out the first half of the season.”

Must-see film

Matt Schaub is throwing less because the Texans are running so effectively. They rank second in rushing with 155.1 yards a game. Arian Foster has 656 yards and Ben Tate 623.

“It’s fun to watch those guys, especially after the fact,” Schaub said. “I don’t get to see a whole lot during live action, but to go back and watch the film and watch those guys up front work, the receivers work, the tight ends, the backs, it’s fun to watch.”